The Sixth Finger

Our episode begins In a remote Welsh mining town, a scientist Professor Mathers discovers how to speed up evolutionary mutation. Gwyllim Griffiths, a disgruntled local miner, volunteers for the experiment, threw a friend of his and potential love interest Cathy Evans, enabling the scientist to give him enhanced mental capabilities and, incidentally, a sixth finger on each hand. But when the mutation process continues while outside of the scientist's control, the mutant miner takes over the experiment. Now equipped with superior intelligence and telekinetic powers capable of great destruction, Griffiths decides to take revenge on the mining town he loathes. But, can Cathy and Mathers stop him for he does harm to the whole town and virtually himself. So once again were given an episode that pretty much follows the same plot line like I discussed in the last episodes review. A scientist usually taking something normal (usually a person) and conducting scientific experiments until said subject gets out of control and the whole thing pretty much ends horrifically with a morale narration at the end. This one is no different, but, the fact the the story goes at a really brisk pace and that we have two really good British actors in Edward Mulhare and David McCallum really helps. The ending is really good, but, you can defiantly tell the cheapness of the budget here, as the episode barely goes outside and and pretty much just has two inside sets. Plus Grittiths build up never really goes anywhere, he literally knocks a cop off his motorcycle and thats about it. The ending possibility that man can evolve past hate and what not is really great though. Overall the series manages to put out another good episode.

What happens when you take an ordinary laboring man and accelerate his mental and physical evolution? A very familiar question posed over the years in sci fi literature, and one addressed here in one of the best shows in the series. A very good cast, a believable premise and execution.

This episode features two British actors very familiar to 1960s American television--Edward Mulhare ("The Ghost and Mrs. Muir") and David McCallum ("The Man From UNCLE").

Mulhare is a genetic scientist who has been manipulating DNA in chimps in order to speed up evolution. The result is a chimp that is nearly as smart as a person! When a local dullard sees this, she begs the scientist to do this procedure on her boyfriend (McCallum)--a rather dull coal miner. Mulhare reluctantly agrees to his first human subject and McCallum is accelerated thousands of years--and becomes MUCH smarter and with psychic powers but also some contempt for mankind, as we are all very stupid in comparison. He continues to evolve--and each time, we become more and more like mere parasites to the point that he sees us as inconveniences. What's next? See this very interesting episode to find out for yourself.

I liked this one because it could simply have been about how noble mankind would one day become (BOOORRRIIINNGGG!). Instead, although McCallum seems pretty benign, over time his view of the human race is pretty scary! An insightful and clever show--well worth seeing because of this as well as it being incredibly unique!

I saw this episode when I was 9 years old and was glued to my TV. David McCalum's makeup was designed by John Chambers who later did the ears for Mr. Spock. This series had the best special effects people in the business, designing the most grotesque looking monsters you will ever see. Unlike the Twilight Zone which played their monsters for laughs, the teaser of The Outer Limits each week gave you a taste of what to expect in the next hour and you did not have to wait until the very end to see them. 1st Season Director of Photography, Conrad Hall and his camera man William Fraker shot episodes with fish eyed lenses and weird camera angles coupled with high contrast lighting producing black and white quality equivalent to feature films. Monsters like the Chromoite from THE MICE looked like a quivering Jelly Fish with claws for hands and a slit for a mouth where it ate its own goo from the lake and male and female Aliens from FUN & GAMES who used boomerangs as weapons to kill their opponents is an example of the monsters on The Outer Limits. Twilight Zone had nothing like this.

The British scientist Professor Mathers is researching human DNA and evolution in a chimpanzee in a laboratory in the countryside. When he meets the bread delivery girl Cathy Evans, she decides to bring her boyfriend Gwyllim Griffiths, who is an ambitious unemployed coal miner, to look for a job at Mathers´ laboratory. Gwyllim offers to be his assistant and to be submitted to his experiment. Mathers accepts the offer and soon Gwyllim´s intelligence and knowledge enhances, growing his head and a sixth finger. His evolution proceeds and Gwyllim achieves the power of telekinesis, threatening Mathers. Where will his evolution reach?

"The Sixth Finger" is an intriguing episode of "The Outer Limits". The story is engaging and the impressive makeup of David McCallum is top notch. Unfortunately the corny conclusion is disappointing. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Sexto Dedo" ("The Sixth Finger")